Playing With Someone Else's Pet

[Akeem Ten-Amen]

Akeem didn't like Ellen’s attitude. The girl seemed to think that because she paid him to stay away from her, and possibly cause some havoc amongst the enemy ranks, she could treat him like her lackey. Oh, he figured she was incapable of treating any human being as her equal but it was still frustrating. Akeem was not the kind to enjoy being anyone’s little henchman. He had no master, he was his own master. And Ellen had no control on him. Truth be told, it never came to his mind to use his power on her. He could have spent his college years here not caring at all for Ellen Banks. She was the one who came to him and said she’d pay him to stay away. Well, the terms were a little more specific than that but it was a good summary. Basically, he didn't use his power on her and she didn’t use her power on him. He had no idea that also gave her the right to treat him like her servant.

Through all this time he had to deal with Ellen, he noticed someone else at her side. She was not there always and Akeem never really talked to her before but she had the kind of look that he liked. And the simple fact she didn't seem to be acting like Ellen did was enough to make her interesting in his eyes. He didn't get what kind of appeal she found in Ellen but he understood why the ice queen liked about her. She was quiet and submissive, at least from what Akeem saw. Exactly the kind of attitude someone like Ellen would like her ‘friends’ to be. Exactly the kind of people Akeem liked too. Plus there was a chance here to make fun of Ellen by playing with her toys. He had to take it.

Ashley proved to be harder to find than he first thought. Apparently, not a whole lot of people knew her, even if he said she was hanging out with Ellen from time to time. No one seemed to believe that possible, unless you were Frank Cox. Finally, he spotted her by herself in the student lounge. “Ah, there you go,” he exclaimed as he dropped himself on the chair next to her. There barely was anyone here today which only made this all the more better for him. He studied the girl for a time, not caring if he disturbed her. “You’re Ashley, right? Yes, I’ve seen you around. My name’s Akeem,” he told her. He didn’t offer his hand to shake, he didn't stop studying her. On the chair, he almost look like a prince on his throne. The smirk he gave her was not totally innocent.

TAG: Ashley Benson

[Ashley Benson]

Ashley was largely unaware of the overactive rumor mill that hounded many of the more prominent members of the Bellefonte student body. She knew very few people and spoke to even less. It didn't matter anyway. Ashley wasn't important enough to be on anyone's radar. She was just the quiet girl no one knew anything about who kept to herself on the rare occasion she dared venture out of her dorm. Even her roommates knew precious little of the girl. For all intents and purposes, Ashley might as well have been merely a phantom that roamed the halls of the Academy. Which was why it came to no small surprise that someone knew her name and had taken the time to seek her out.

Restlessness had driven the dark haired girl from her dorm and into the student lounge. Even then, she remained silent and didn't acknowledge anyone. She had been relieved to find the room sparsely populated and took up a spot one one of the couches that had been pushed up against the wall. With her feet tucked beneath her, Ashley set about opening the hardcover book, titled 'The Center Cannot Hold', she had tucked under one arm.

Before long Ashley had lost track of time. She didn't know how long had passed before slowly becoming aware that she was being watched. Curiously, blue eyes flicked upward at the stranger's voice and focused upon the young man. He was sitting as if he owned the place and was speaking... to her? The book lowered as Ashley, so taken aback by the young man's sudden presence, was forced to glance over the room a bit in order to ensure she was the one the stranger was actually addressing.

"Y-yes?" Came the stammered reply. Ashley carefully placed a tattered marker between the pages of the book and closed it. Her eyes dropped as she meticulously performed this task in silence before lifting back to Akeem, uncertainty shining brightly. She looked very much like a frightened mouse cornered by a voracious cat. It even seemed as if she was attempting to shrink herself against the couch in hopes that she would simply vanish from view. "Um." Ashley frowned and shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "How do you know my name?"

[Akeem Ten-Amen]

Akeem couldn’t believe that someone would seek Ellen’s company, knowing who they were going to hang out with. In the same line of thought, he did not believe Ellen was the kind to just hang out with someone without something in mind. Well, except perhaps Frank Cox but this banshee was clearly not the kind to listen to anything one said to her so he placed her in a category of her own. It was why Akeem was so curious about Ashley. And the idea of messing up with Ellen’s latest toy did come to his mind, providing him some sort of sick satisfaction. He didn't really care if the girl would end up hurt in the process. He was not really good at thinking of such things, unless the pain would fall on him.

She was reading when he came to her. Never mind, he knew she would put it aside, if only for a minute, as he was talking to her. Again, the thought she might have other plans completely eluded him. He waited patiently. His green eyes darted at her as he studied her features and the reaction he got from her. What Ellen found to this quiet girl, other than the pleasure of having someone submissive at her side? Really, he could not tell. Oh, he found her pretty for sure. Her eyes were striking, along with other parts but that couldn’t be what interested Ellen so Akeem offered them only the attention they deserved before focusing on her as a whole.

He looked at her as she placed the bookmark. She gave him very little to work with. When she looked back at him, she seemed scared. If he liked that she knew she was the prey and he the predator, he found this almost too easy. There was no fun in that. Finally, she talked to him. Not exactly to say something that interested him but he figured he might as well answer her. “I believe we have a common... acquaintance,” he told her, waiting a moment for this to sink in before telling her the name. “Ellen Banks.”

[Ashley Benson]

Ashley did little more than stare at the young man for a long while. It wasn't until he spoke that her entire demeanor softened and she offered a smile that was now only partially not nervous and forced. Just the mere mention of the name seemed to bring out a sort of glow in Ashley. It hadn't been on purpose, she didn't know she was beaming at the sound of her only actual friend's name.

"Oh!" She said with a light nod. Ashley figured Akeem must be one of Ellen's friends who'd grown curious about the quiet girl who had been seen hanging around. She didn't really count herself among Ellen's friends, per se, though she felt strongly about Ellen herself. It didn't stand to reason Ellen reciprocated any notions of friendship, after all, seeing as how the blonde merely tolerated Ashley's presence at this point. She supposed she should probably feel awkward and uncomfortable about taking advantage of someone's sympathies (since that, obviously, was the reason Ellen allowed her to hang around), but there was something oddly comforting about the blonde's presence Ashley didn't want to let go of just yet.

"Have you and Ellen been friends for a long time?" She asked, a little too eager to talk about their mutual acquaintance and obviously completely missing the entire reason Akeem had chosen to talk to her in the first place.

[Akeem Ten-Amen]

If Akeem figured hearing Ellen’s name might calm her down, he didn’t expect that. The girl’s features all lit up at the mention of someone everyone else was likely to grimace at the sound of. She must be hooked somehow. How could Ellen generate so much love out of someone, really? Was she in love with her? That might explain it.

Either way, mentioning Ellen had just made him go from dangerous predator to harmless creature and for now, he was happy of it. He didn’t know just yet what he wanted to do with Ashley. He wanted to know her better first, then he’ll decide what would be the most amusing solution for him. For now, it was best she thought he was here as a friend and not someone ready to mess with Ellen. So he simply nodded along with her after he explained they both knew the ice princess.

And then she asked how long the two of them have been friends. If Ashley was to ask Ellen, she’ll argue they were not friends. What else she’ll say about him, he was not sure but he doubted it would be anything pleasant. “Not long. I’ve returned here to finish college a few months ago, we met then,” he explained. He didn’t say Ellen was his friend. It would be his line of defense should he ever need one. “How about you? I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect her to have a lot of friends, if any. She’s not really good at showing her affection.”

[Ashley Benson]

The smile remained on Ashley's face as she listened to Akeem's response. It was a strange expression that grew more unsettling the longer one looked at it. Like all of Ashley's displays of emotion, her smile was muted and subdued, as if it wanted to be a broad, warm exhibition of joy and contentment but there was always something dark lingering just behind it keeping it subdued like a dove chained to a post. Its wings were able to spread all the while being unable to fly.

"Oh, we're not really friends." Ashley replied, her gaze dropping in modesty. The smile remained, though her doubts and insecurities made it impossible for her to imagine Ellen felt anything more than sorry for her. An astute onlooker would notice just the faintest hint of red beginning to flush Ashley's pale cheeks as she spoke of the other girl. Simply talking about the frigid blonde was enough to draw out a certain sheepishness in Ashley. "We hang out some." She frowned a little, her eyes lifting again to regard Akeem with uncertainty. "She's nice to me when most people just ignore me."

[Akeem Ten-Amen]

Ashley still seemed unsure whether she should trust Akeem or not. It was the impression the boy had while looking at her. There was something stiff in her smile, something hesitant like she couldn’t fully allow herself to trust him into showing her emotions. In a way, she was right, but Akeem was not to tell her that. For now, he was not sure how far he would go with Ashley. He just wanted to understand better what kind of relationship united the two girls. Plus he had to admit that she was pleasant to look at. If it was not for the constant fear lingering in her eyes, he’d be attracted to her. Some guys might like the whole scared doe stare but he was not really into that. Playing the knights in shining armor for the damsel in distress really was not his thing.

“Oh?” Akeem let out, faking as well as he could the surprise. Not friends, yeah right. That girl clearly had not spent enough time around Ellen to understand that she would not try to have her around if she did not consider her as her friend. She treated her friends like pet she could carry around and pushed away when she was being too nice with. And a pet seemed to describe Ashley well. A little dog looking at you with expecting eyes in the hope you’ll accept her by your side. He could see the appeal. “What would you say you are then? Believe me, she doesn’t just let anybody near her,” he told her. If that girl didn’t think she was Ellen’s friend, he’ll make her believe differently. It would only be even more amusing afterwards.

Akeem couldn’t help an eyebrow to arch up at the mention of Ellen being nice. Has hell frozen lately? It must be if the girl was nice of her own decision. But he couldn’t say that, not when he pretended to be Ellen’s friend. “How can anyone ignore you?” he let out instead, preferred to focus on Ashley for now until he was certain he wouldn’t let it show how unlikely he thought the idea of Ellen being nice was.

[Ashley Benson]

Ashley, for better or worse, knew precious little of Ellen Banks and her less than stellar reputation around Bellefonte. She'd been largely sequestered during her four years at the Academy and only recently had advanced far enough to be let out with the regular members of the student body. Ellen was an enigma. While the two girls had been spending a great deal of time together as of late, very little dialogue was ever actually exchanged between them. Ashley drew a certain amount of comfort and peace in the presence of the blonde girl in question while Ellen seemed to become more at ease around Ashley. Given that it was the first relationship with someone her own age Ashley had been able to form in years, she wasn't about to question it.

"What makes you say that?" She asked, her head tilting curiously. It always looked as though Ellen had a large number of people she spent time around, although Ashley wasn't aware of the nature of any of these relationships. "Well, I guess I can see it. She is a private person." Ashley reasoned. It made sense given her limited knowledge of the Academy and the students that called it home.

The next words that slipped from Akeem's lips were met with no small amount of confusion. Ashley's mouth worked to reply but nothing came. She paused, brow furrowing before the slow, dawning realization that Akeem was paying her some sort of compliment sunk in. "Oh." She offered a sheepish smile then and lowered her eyes to distract herself with studying her finger as she scratched idly at her leg. "I don't mind." She admitted, daring to look back up to Akeem with a soft smile. She wasn't shy or nervous, though it looked as though there was much going on behind her deep, azure gaze. "If I'm being ignored it means no one has a reason to know who I am."

[Akeem Ten-Amen]

Had Akeem chosen to let Ashley hang around with him, he knew it would have been for reasons different than whatever one Ellen had for doing so. That girl was cute after all. And with low self-esteem. If he preferred the stronger ones because he didn’t have to reassure them all the time, those like Ashley were able to give, for a short period of time, an ego boost. And then they become high maintenance and you dump them. Ellen was high maintenance too, for entirely different reasons. But he was thinking of Ashley and he wanted to understand what could make someone wants to be friends with Ellen without being paid or coerced for it. Or just being crazy. Maybe that was the explanation.

“Ellen has...” Lackeys? Slaves? The need to pay to have friends around because she treats everyone like worms? “...trust issues, you could say. She might have acquaintances but she really gives of her time to someone unless she has a good reason for it.” That did sound better, even though he was still judging her negatively. “Private? Yes, I suppose you can put it that way.”

He watched her as she appeared confused and perhaps even a bit shocked by his words. What, no one told her she looked really good? Because that girl, if she were to get a bit more self-confidence, could easily make all the guys’ heads to turn. He waited as she started to understand what he said and pretty much blushed like a timid girl to it. He raised a brow in skepticism when she answered. She wanted to be ignored? Who wanted that? “And why should no one know you? Who you are is something only Ellen can see?” Oh my. She better not say their relationship was actually more than he thought. Because... well, it might be kind of hot. And even more tempting to wreck it.

[Ashley Benson]

Ashley watched Akeem for a moment, curious as to what was going through his mind. There seemed to be a great deal of activity behind those vivid green eyes of his. She wanted to be paranoid and wary of any stranger who would approach her to immediately begin asking questions of her relationship with one of her only friends but she had to force herself to give people the benefit of the doubt these days. She smiled brightly and offered a faint shrug in response. "I guess, then, I'm... lucky?" She reasoned, though she still truly believed Ellen just felt sorry for her. Ashley was beginning to think there was a side to Ellen she hadn't discovered yet and it was an unsettling thought, to say the least.

"I don't know." The answer given was neither a total lie or the whole truth. Ashley preferred to remain low key mostly because it kept her from having to field questions about her occasionally odd behavior. It was bad enough she'd been moved into the dorms and now had roommates privy to her erratic nature, being in the spotlight wasn't something she liked the idea of. "Ellen sees what she wants." Ashley replied, her soft tone hinting at a certain sense of envy at the blonde girl in question's confidence.

"I'm just happy I met her." Ashley confessed with a little shrug before her brow furrowed just a bit. She may have not been the most astute young woman when it came to the subtle intricacies of social interaction but it did seem more than a little strange that Akeem would approach her and show such an interest in the nature of her relationship with Ellen. She'd mulled over in her mind through the entire brief conversation as to what the young man's motivations possibly could be and it had just finally dawn on her. "Do you like her?" She asked, head tilting curiously. "Is that why you're asking about her?"

[Akeem Ten-Amen]

Akeem generally preferred stronger, more confident women because they offered a better challenge and tended to be independent enough for him but he could see the appeal in someone more easily manipulated. Ashley seemed cut from that block. He was certain it was a reason why Ellen picked her. Not the only, of course, but the fact she was not likely to argue with her and simply stay here and listen might have appealed to someone like Ellen Banks. Either way, it was interesting to learn more about Ashley and make her his friend, if only because he knew it would piss the blond girl off. And after the way she treated him, she deserved it.

“You can say that. I might not know her for long but I’ve never seen her let someone come close to her. You can say it’s sad but she tends to push people away the moment she starts caring for them.” He was extrapolating here and he could just imagine the valkyrie ready to club him to death for this but she was not here and the idea of having her friend pity her and let her know at some point was too amusing for him not to try this approach at least once.

Akeem did not envy Ellen. Well, he might envy her money and the path her father could open to her, mostly because he wanted a similar career, but other than that, he cared little about the girl herself, let alone envy her. He was able to perceive envy in Ashley’s voice however and he failed to understand where that might be coming from. “That’s the case of everyone,” he argued.

She was happy to have met Ellen though and that was something he never expected to hear. Before he could say anything else to her, she asked the funniest of question that had him laugh. Did he like Ellen? “Not the way you mean it, I’m sure,” he answered. He, liking Ellen? Yeah, right. He shrugged before he let his gaze fall on her again. “No, I’m here for you. I’ve noticed you around her and you got me curious. You’re an interesting girl and not just because of your choice of friends. I wanted to meet you.” The best lies were always covered in truth. It made them even harder to tell they were lies.

[Ashley Benson]

Ashley studied Akeem for a long moment. The girl may have been out of sorts and wholly unaccustomed to any sort of attention but she wasn't dull witted. There was something almost predatory about the way Akeem spoke. It wasn't disconcerting, by any means, and Ashley wasn't wary of the young man, though there was something worming around in the back of her mind that was telling her she should be.

"She helped me... get through some things." Ashley admitted, though that was already far more than she cared to divulge. The details of her interactions with Ellen and her well known powers of hypnosis were a secret only the two girls knew and Ashley wasn't about to change that. "Take it however you want but she helped me when she didn't have to." There was a certain defiance in Ashley's voice. While Akeem hadn't outright insulted Ellen he had yet to speak very highly of her and, in spite of it all, Ashley was a touch protective over the blonde. "She's not nearly as distant and cold as some people think."

When Akeem deftly guided the conversation to Ashley herself it almost caused the dark haired girl to glitch. Her head tilted as she processed his words. She went to respond but no words came from her parted lips and she simply had to offer a faint, sheepish smile and lower her gaze so she could steal a moment to piece together her thoughts. "Well, here I am." She said, her tone softening considerably as she finally found the will to lift her eyes to Akeem again. "Not nearly as interesting up close as I must be from afar."

[Akeem Ten-Amen]

Maybe Akeem pushed it a little too hard. This girl really seemed to consider Ellen as a good person and her friend. There was a limit on what he could say about her right now. She would be on Ellen’s side after all. Truth be told, he was not even sure he wanted Ashley to end up disliking Ellen. It was funnier to make Ellen freak out about Ashley. And that could be achieved by making this girl like him. Something that was not likely to happen if he insulted her friend. “I didn’t mean to disrespect Ellen, really,” he assured Ashley as she took the girl’s defense. Well, he had little respect for her to begin with but Ashley need not knowing that. “I know her and how she can come off as... she has a prickly disposition. But she seems to like you and I figured you must be really special if you can achieve that.” There. He believed he recovered well enough. He even put the spotlight on her, since she was the one he wanted to put the light on.

It was funny though, to hear someone take Ellen’s defense. First, because the girl was more than able to defend herself on her own. Akeem would rather deal with Ashley and her justification for being Ellen’s friend than with the blond valkyrie herself. But also because Ashley argued Ellen was not as cold and distant as she appeared to be. Akeem could argue with that but he opted not to. If she wanted to believe Ellen was only misunderstood, it was her problem. But Ellen chose to be like that and Akeem was not going to turn this sinner into a saint.

She looked so shy when he pointed out he was here for her. He certainly was not here to tell her to leave Ellen alone because the lady was his. She sure was not. And he could definitely let someone else have Ellen on their back. A break from the hypnotist was welcome. She then underestimated herself. Oh, this would be fun. “I wouldn’t say that,” he argued as she said she was not all that interesting.

[Ashley Benson]

Ashley's lips parted with the full intent on assuring Akeem that her possibly misguided view of Ellen was true when he managed to slip in the not-so-subtle compliment. Her head tilted, her eyes flashing a certain curiosity at the simple sentence. 'You must be really special'. The words worked their way through Ashley's mind, attempting to come to terms with what they could have possibly meant. Surely Akeem was mistaken, or at least misguided, in his assessment. Yes, there was no denying Ashley was 'special' in the sense that was she was a unique addition to the student body here at Bellefonte. Special in the same way one would describe a two legged dog who learned to survive. Ashley certainly was not the kind of special that made people like her.

Ashley couldn't help avert her gaze sheepishly at that. A faint chuckled escaped as she shook her head. Part of her remained skeptical. It didn't make sense that someone like Akeem would have it in mind to get to know her simply because she knew Ellen. "I'm sure I can prove you wrong on both counts." She said. Ashley was neither special nor interesting to anyone other than doctors and therapists looking to publish a thesis on mutant powers and mental illness. But if Akeem wanted to play this game, Ashley could humor him. For now.

"If you really are here for me I have to warn you." Ashley's visage didn't change, neither did her tone of voice. Her eyes still carried a curious, almost childlike gleam in them though something behind the vivid azure pools had darkened and while the words had came out with the same softness as before, a certain sense of foreboding wove around them. "Don't dig too far." The smile on her face widened as she looked up to Akeem. It was a detached expression that looked almost as though it was being offered simply because smiling was what people were supposed to do in this situation. "Somethings are better off staying buried."

[Akeem Ten-Amen]

If he knew what ‘special’ might mean to her, how pejorative it could be, maybe Akeem would have chosen another one. Or tried to show her special did not mean weird or crazy. Then again, so many compliments in that line could sound like an insult depending on the tone or context it was said. This time, however, it was no insult and Akeem let it sink in her. And on her face, he could view the doubt she had about it, or just the fact she should take it as a compliment.

“Oh? I’ll admit, if you want to change my view on Ellen, do try but I would hope you wouldn’t want me to think there’s nothing special about you,” he replied once she finally allowed herself to talk. Seriously though, guys had either to be blind if no one tried to get to her or there was really something wrong about her. Even if she was shy, they had eyes to see, no? Maybe she just made you work too much for what it was worth. That, unless someone tried it before him and could tell him about it, was something he would rather find out on his own. In fact, even if a guy was to tell him this, he might try, just to prove he could do it better.

He opened his eyes wide, waiting for her to know what she had to warn him about. What could such a girl warn him about? That she was gay? Sure, that would reduce the amount of fun he could get with her but that would not make her any less interesting. On the contrary. The idea there could be something between Ashley and Ellen beyond friendship, and the possibility to play with it, was very interesting. But it was not what she had to say. Instead, she asked him not to dig too far. So the pretty girl had a deep dark secret. It made him want to know it but there was time for that. Right now, he had to score some more points with her.

He pretended to think about it for longer than he really needed to before he leaned forward in her direction. “What if I said I’m more interested in your personality than your past? Would that be alright?”